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Watch this page for updates to the NJ Fire Alarm, Building and Electrical Codes that affect our industry.We will keep the page updated as we learn of changes.

If you’re not aware there was a law that died some years ago that would have mandated that most anyone that touched or tested an automatic sprinkler or clean agent suppression system be a Journeyman Sprinkler Fitter.Your AFAANJ fought this bill; however, there are whispers it is back with a new name.The AFAANJ has legislative committee members on both the Division of Consumer Safety and Division of Consumer Affairs councils.

The bill was originally Senate Bill S1667, however, it was changed to S2176 and is now SENATE, No. 548. An add hoc committee was formed to fight this legislation, the committee was made up of the NJ chapters of AFAA, SFPE, FSSA, AFAS, NFSA, NJ NAFED, distribution and other related life safety organizations. We can not continue our work without support from the industry, remember, if you think we can help you or if you think you can help us please become a member of AFAANJ

We need strength in numbers to take the fight to Trenton, now go out and get your 2½ pound ABC extinguisher for the cooking fire in your kitchen.......

Hot News

Thu Jul 25, 2013

Today the State of New Jersey, Department of Community Affairs, Division of Codes and Standards issued a guidance document to code officials with regards to home fire sprinkler systems.

Essentially the guidance document utilizes the language of the 2009 Model International Residential Code (IRC) recognizing the use of NFPA-13D or IRC P2904 Fire Sprinkler systems in one and two family dwellings of unprotected wood frame construction up to three stories in height and of unlimited area. It allows code officials to recognize the provisions of the 2009 IRC Model Code for the purpose of granting variations.

This is a significant step forward in promoting home fire sprinkler systems in New Jersey.

Sincerely,

The 2011 Edition of the National Electrical Code ( 2011NEC) was adoptedMay 7, 2012 and the 6-month grace period has begun for those that would still like to submit a complete permit application using the 2008 NEC before November 7, 2012. The proposal can be found at (direct link)http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/codes/codreg/pdf_rule_proposals/p2012_009_5_23_3_16.pdf

Effort to Ease Skyscraper Codes Fails

WASHINGTON — The nation’s largest official building code group on Saturday rebuffed a push by a federal agency and real estate developers to weaken skyscraper code enhancements adopted last year in response to the World Trade Center attack.

The agency, the General Services Administration, had teamed up with the Building Owners and Managers Association, which represents real estate developers nationwide, to challenge requirements for additional emergency stairwells in tall office buildings, more robust fireproofing and glow-in-the-dark paint on emergency stairwells.

But even before two of the measures came to a vote at a meeting of the building group, the International Code Council, which is meeting in Minneapolis to approve the 2009 version of the building code, they were withdrawn.

And the third proposal — to drop a requirement for an additional stairwell in office buildings taller than 420 feet, or about 40 stories — was defeated on Saturday by a vote of the building code officials present.

David W. Frable, a fire protection engineer at the General Services Administration, which manages office buildings for the federal government, declined to comment Saturday when asked why he had withdrawn his two requests to weaken the code.

But building code officials who attended the meeting said opposition surfaced this month after word spread that the federal government was advocating repealing certain code enhancements.

Instead of weakening the code, members of the nonprofit International Code Council voted to enhance it by requiring that all tall buildings install glow-in-the-dark paint, not just new ones.

The revisions passed also require a backup water supply for sprinkler systems, so that if the primary supply is cut off, as happened on Sept. 11, 2001, at the World Trade Center towers, the sprinklers will still work.

Finally, the members moved to require a minimum of 30 feet between emergency stairwells in buildings 75 feet or taller, or about six stories, to prevent a single event, like an explosion, from blocking all the exits, as also happened in the north tower of the World Trade Center.

“All in all, we have had a terrific success,” said Gary Lewis, chairman of an International Code Council committee that had recommended code enhancements in response to the 2001 attack. “I am ecstatic.”

The building code adopted by the International Code Council is used in at least 20,000 communities nationwide, in all 50 states, including major cities like New York, Houston and Philadelphia. Each jurisdiction has the right to modify the so-called model code before adopting it — and many do. But the standard adopted by the Code Council members is considered a minimum safety threshold that most jurisdictions try to meet.

The members did approve a major compromise advocated by the General Services Administration.

For office building skyscrapers higher than 420 feet, an additional stairwell will not be required if the building includes special elevators that can be used to evacuate occupants during an emergency.

These elevators would have to be designed so they would continue to run even if there was a fire in the building — and if the sprinklers were activated. The traditional ban on using an elevator during a fire would be lifted in the new towers.Proposed Fire Prevention Code Change for Existing High Rise Buildings in NJ;

An amendment update is proposed to the State Fire Prevention Code, sub-chapter 3 of the Uniform Fire Code (N.J.A.C. 5:70-3) in regard to high-rise suppression requirements for existing buildings. The proposed amendment will require existing high-rise buildings Group B (Business or Office) and Group R-2 (Residential) to be equipped with an approved automatic fire suppression system installed in accordance with the Uniform Construction Code(UCC). High-rise buildings represent a special hazard with regard to escape,rescue and firefighting operations that can be hampered by the height of the building. The proposed rule allows four years for high-rise building owners to comply.

September 17th, 2008 the Corzine administration announced yesterday that it will not require pre 1988 residential and office high-rises to be retrofitted with fire suppression systems within four years. Again cost outweighs life safety.http://www2.iccsafe.org/states/newjersey/ ? Click on this link to go to the ICC NJ codes.

The 2006 NJ Edition of these codes went into effect on February 20, 2007.

The 2000 NJ Editions of the IBC and IRC are set to expire on August 20, 2007.

The 2002 Edition of NFPA 72 is currently adopted by reference. The 1996 Edition will expire on August 20, 2007

The 2005 Edition of NFPA 70 is currently adopted by reference. See bottom of page we are moving to the 2008 edition.Information Courtesyof:

John Drucker, CETFire Protection Subcode Official (AHJ)New Jersey

The below applies to all nightclubs that are modified under the Rehab code, and any nightclub constructed prior to the 1990 edition of the BOCA National Building Code.

Occupancy load of 100 or more, automatic fire detection systems.Occupancy load of 300 or more, fire sprinkler systems.In both cases tie alarm activation to sound systems to shut them down and to lighting systems to turn the lights up.Voluntarily reducing the occupant load to eliminate the need for the fire sprinklers is specifically prohibited.

Use the pull down menu for the complete code and comments....

On February 20, 2007 the State of New Jersey adopted the 2006 International Building Code (IBC), International Residential Code (IRC), National StandardPlumbing Code (NSPC), International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), International Mechanical Code (IMC) and International Fuel Gas Code (IFGC). As with most if not all adoptions in New Jersey the "model codes" are adopted with technical amendments pursuant to the NJ Uniform Construction Code, N.J.A.C. 5:23. With that said its important that users utilize the "adopted" versions of these codes which may be obtained from the ICC atwww.iccsafe.organd the NAPHCC for the NSPC athttp://www.phccweb.org/. Additionally fire alarm providers should take note that the 2006 IBC Chapter 35 Reference Standard for Fire Alarms is the 2002 Edition of NFPA-72.

A companion change to N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.7 is proposed to reference the requirement for suppression of high-rise buildings. Finally, there is a proposed amendment to N.J.A.C. 5:70-4.17, applicable to all high-rise buildings,including those built in compliance with the UCC. The comment period for this proposal has been extended to December 17, 2007 by the Department of Consumer Affairs Division of Codes and Standards.

In the February 5th NJ Register the UCC Rehab and UFC Retrofit regulations were amended concerning nightclubs.

5:23-6.5 Renovations(g) In buildings of Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 containing a fuel burning appliance or having an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed in accordance with the mechanical subcode. (Fire)

5:23-6.6 Alterations(g) In buildings of Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 containing a fuel burning appliance or having an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed in accordance with the mechanical subcode. (Fire)

5:23-6.7 Reconstruction(f) In buildings of Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 containing a fuel burning appliance or having an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed in accordance with the mechanical subcode. (Fire)

5:23-6.31 Change of use(j) Carbon monoxide alarms: When the use of a building is changed to Groups I-1, R-1, R-2, R-3, R-4 or R-5 and the building contains a fuel-burning appliance or has an attached garage, carbon monoxide alarms shall be installed in accordance with the mechanical subcode. (Fire)

1. Exceptions: Rooms or dwelling units which do not themselves contain a fuel-burning appliance or have an attached garage, but which are located in a building with a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage, need not be provided with single station carbon monoxide alarms provided that:

i. The room or dwelling unit is located more than one story above or below any story which contains a fuel-burning appliance or an attached garage; the room or dwelling unit is not connected by duct work or ventilation shafts to any room containing a fuel-burning appliance or to an attached garage; and the building is provided with a common area carbon monoxide alarm system. The individual alarms shall be located in every room adjacent to the room(s) containing a fuel-burning appliance, and in every corridor, hall or lobby adjacent to such room(s) and in the immediate vicinity of any ventilated shaft, including, but not limited to, stair shafts, elevator shafts, ventilation shafts on the story containing the fuel-burning appliance and any story within two stories above or below said story. All such common area alarm devices shall be connected to an alarm monitoring station or shall be interconnected; or

ii. The building is provided with a monitored carbon monoxide alarm system. Individual alarms shall be located in every room containing a fuel-burning appliance. All such alarms shall be connected to an alarm monitoring station that shall be staffed at all times by a person who is trained and qualified to respond so as to protect the health and safety of building occupants in the event of the activation of one or more alarms. Carbon monoxide alarms and fire alarms may be incorporated into a common monitored system.

2. Carbon monoxide alarms shall be manufactured listed and labeled in accordance with UL 2034 and shall be installed in accordance with the requirements of this section and NFPA 720. Carbon monoxide alarms shall be battery-operated, hard-wired or of the plug-in type.

John DruckerFire Protection Subcode OfficialBorough of Red Bank, NJAFAANJ Member

Below is information on a new NO Verification ordinance in Cresskill, NJ.

On October 3, 2012, Ordinance # 12-15-1436 was passed and now became law. The passage for this ordinance reads as follows: "All persons and/or agencies responsible for monitoring automatic fire alarms and/or fire suppression systems located within the Borough of Cresskill shall immediately notify the Cresskill Fire Department upon activation of said alarm. It shall be a violation of this ordinance for any person to investigate or verify of said alarm prior to notification of the Cresskill Fire Department including one and two family dwellings. This requirement shall not apply to fire drills and routine testing and maintenance being conducted of said alarm".

This ordinance shall exceed the National Fire Protection Association by prohibiting any type of verification prior to notification of the Cresskill Fire Department including one and two family dwellings.

If you have any questions in this matter, please do not hesitate to contact;